Thanksgiving is the granddaddy of gluttony. How can you avoid the chemical stress most of us have been programmed to enjoy on the holidays?First, let's go over a couple of reasons why you would want to consider limiting your caloric intake and eating a more balanced holiday meal.
5 - 10 pounds - Do you really want to put on an extra 5 - 10 pounds over the holiday? Most of us will put on the weight and then set a New Year's Resolution to lose weight. Maybe, if this IS your New Year's Resolution in 2017, start it now.
The "Flu Season" - When your body (or you) gets stressed, your immune system goes down. People often wonder why the "flu season" is in the winter. One of the main reasons is the caloric intake and increase in sugar in the diet. From the candy binge of Halloween to the drunken toasts on New Year's Eve, this is the time when most of us are most susceptible to infection. Instead of going for that highly ineffective, and toxic, flu shot, eat better and bump up your supplements.
Susceptibility to a bad holiday - Eating out of control puts your body into "Fight or Flight"--the physiological response to a threatening situation in which your body prepares itself to fight for your life or run like heck. This makes every moment a matter of life and death. When your mind moves into this place, it is much more easy to say hurtful things or lack the ability to weather through a hurtful comments directed at you. It becomes harder to cope with frustration and remain peaceful. By avoiding the chemical stresses of overeating and poor food choices, you will be much less likely to end up in a family fight or stuck holding a grudge for the next several years.
Here are some strategies you can implement this holiday season.
1) Pace Yourself - In the holiday season, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Slow down. Chew your food. Our tendency is to shovel it in so fast that we don't realize how stuffed we are. Unfortunately, our sense of fullness is a slow trigger. Often times we are stuffed before we recognize the signal that we are stuffed. By slowing down, we give ourselves the opportunity to feel full before it's too late. You may want to put your fork down in between bites, or count how many times you chew each bite of food. If you are unbuttoning that top button on your pants after you eat (or while you eat), you're eating too fast.
2) Be Selective - Remember, there are proteins, fats and sugars (carbohydrates). Proteins are, for the most part, meat. For fats, think butter, cream and gravy. Carbohydrates are the desserts, veggies, bread, alcohol, and potatoes. It's usually the carbs that screw us up. Here is an eating plan that will help you master your holiday eating.
Limit your alcohol. For every glass of wine or beer you consume, drink a full glass of water.
Forget the bread. Just don't eat it. The star of Thanksgiving is the turkey. Bread is not even close. Okay, there is one bread item on the table that comes with the turkey... the stuffing. Enjoy your stuffing, but only on round one.
Here is something else to consider. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberries, candied yams, bread, think of all of these things as the same. These are the things you can enjoy, but please limit them. Ideally, all of these items should make up about a quarter of your plate. If you limit these, you can have more dessert!
Veggies. Eat 'em up! Generally speaking, veggies are pretty safe at the holidays. This can easily make up half your plate of food. Go ahead and try the brussels sprouts.
Meat. This can make up about a quarter to half your plate. Easy on the cranberries and gravy.
3) Dessert - If you were good with your carbs at dinner, you can have a little more dessert. Every holiday, we would have at least 5 pies to choose from. I would want try them all. Go for slivers. Don't add ice cream. The goal is to enjoy the holidays, not pay for them later.
Here are a couple of my favorite recipes.
1 package of Trader Joes organic green beans
4 strips of bacon
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup of chicken broth
Cut up bacon and cook in a large saucepan. Once bacon starts to get brown and crispy, add onion. Cook a few minutes until translucent. Add chicken broth and beans and cover for about 8 minutes. Flip it into a bowl and serve.
Brussel Sprouts
Next week we will cover physical stress. Be well!
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